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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28907868">A broken memory, is a knife to the heart.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeatSkylar/pseuds/BeatSkylar'>BeatSkylar</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:08:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,578</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28907868</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeatSkylar/pseuds/BeatSkylar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>VILE did it, they finally won. They knew her weakness and they made her destroy every relationship she cared about, her family is going to- does- hate her, and Julia...</p><p>This is how they win.</p><p>AU: instead of Carmen remembering the truth, she’s captured and her friends race against the clock to remind her of who she truly is. Cannon up to the end of the show.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Julia "Jules" Argent/Carmen Sandiego | Black Sheep</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>68</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>
  <em>“Don’t you remember me? I’m your friend, Jules!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“The only ‘Jules’ I care to befriend are the kind right over there.”</em>
</p>
<p>Carmen startles awake, sweat running down her spine despite being trapped in a cold room. It takes her a moment for her breathing to return to normal, but her heart still pounds inside her body as if she was running away from someone, from something.</p>
<p>“Jules.” It scares her how easy the blue coat’s name rolls off her tongue, second nature by now despite being the second time she has ever said her name. She doesn’t dare say anything else, she knows she’s being watched and right now she has to focus. She has to escape and let VILE know they’re being monitored and that Crackle... He’s a traitor to them, Gray betrayed her.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Please come back.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You sold me out, Gray.”</em>
</p>
<p>The bed she was on creeks as she stands, the noise tugging at her heart for no reason. The only source of light is coming from the ceiling, but its dimmed to the point she can’t pinpoint any doors that could lead her to freedom, but she can guess if there’s a door, it’ll be opposite the steel toilet and sink. When she looks up and sees a camera, clearly directed at her, she smiles.</p>
<p>Whoever captured her thinks they have won, and she’s going to be pleased when she escapes without any of them knowing.</p>
<p>
  <em>“You were the only loose end. Until five seconds ago when I captured the elusive Carmen Sandiego.”</em>
</p>
<p>She bites down the scream that begs to be released as images of her and Gray bombard her. She doesn’t ever remember being on a train with Gray, especially with him pointing his crackle rod at her as she just sits there. She would of attacked him, disarmed him in a second for being dumb enough to threaten her with his little toy.</p>
<p>“It’s not real, it’s not real.” She repeats the mantra through gritted teeth but with every repetition the images become harder to ignore. The feeling of the black string wrapped around her fingers, connecting her to the bag holding the greatest treasure in the world. From a caper she doesn’t remember pulling.</p>
<p>The slight hum of Gray’s weapon as they talk, talk about her and VILE. His cocky smile believing he won, to the fearless look on his face as she points his weapon back at him, no hum emitting. </p>
<p>
  <em>“Fingerprint recognition”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“They never protect the face.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s fingerprint activated. It won’t work for you.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Won’t it? Being VILE faculty has its perks.”</em>
</p>
<p>It’s too much, right now all she wants is for it to stop. She feels her tears slide down her face as she grabs a hold of the nearby wall, her legs are shaking, and her breathing becomes erratic.</p>
<p>“What did you do to me!?” She yells with all her might, refusing to fall back onto that creaking, uncomfortable, sorry excuse for a bed. “Gray! You... You traitor!” slowly she falls back into the bed, conscious as the pain continues to gain power. “You used to be my friend. I thought of you as a brother.” Is the last thing she whispers before falling unconscious.</p>
<p>
  <strike>
    <span class="u">
      <em>
        <strong>```````````````</strong>
      </em>
    </span>
  </strike>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s-”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Yeah, Yeah.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“For our own safety.”</em>
</p>
<p>For the second time Carmen jolts awake, breathing heavily and waiting for her body to calm down. She still has a mission to do, she needs to protect her family from those damn blue coats, Gray and... Shadowsan. He turned Gray against her, why else would he betray her and VILE? Shadowsan is going to pay for everything he’s done.</p>
<p>Carmen doesn’t move, not even when a bright light enters the room for a few seconds before disappearing. She waits patiently for whoever entered the room to speak. After a few minutes of silence, she looks up, grey eyes meeting black. Blood rushes through her body, reigniting the anger at the man she sees before her. “Shadowsan,” Carmen scoffs, forcing her body to attack. Quickly she pushes herself off the bed, throwing rapid punches towards the former VILE faculty, who easily counters every attack without hesitation. “I’ll make you regret ever stealing from me.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“Are you with me?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“To the end of the line.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I did not come here for the gem.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Neither did I.”</em>
</p>
<p>She continues, remembering everything Coach Brunt taught her on how to inflict excruciating pain to her enemy. Every punch and kick is evaded with ease, and yet he never strikes back. He dances around her, a song she doesn’t know forcing her to attack and hope she can land a punch on the shadow. “I do not wish to harm you, Carmen.” His voice and face show no emotion, but his eyes do: she saw a glimpse of sadness in her former professor’s eyes.</p>
<p>“you already did!,” three more punches followed by a swift kick finally land on Shadowsan, pushing him towards the wall. “You tried to stop me by cheating me out of a passing grade. When that didn’t work, you tried destroying the only family I knew by betraying us,” Carmen kept the distance between the two, giving her a minute to catch her breath and prepare for another blow. “If you think I’ll let you get away with murdering my father, you are sorely mistaken!”</p>
<p>Carmen yells, throwing her right fist towards Shadowsan’s face, who simply grabs it in his left hand, refusing to let her go. “Carmen, you need to listen to me. VILE has lied to you, I did not take his life.”</p>
<p>
  <em>“You have been misled. I did not take your father’s life.” Anger pulses through Carmen’s veins at the denial of his actions. Why can’t he just man up, and admit he is a murder? Her attacks become rapid in pace, and Shadowsan is just as quick to avoid getting injured. He is able to counter all her moves, reading her movements before she can hurt him, they both move together as if they have practiced this fight before. “Please, you are in no condition to fight.”</em>
</p>
<p>Shadowsan quickly grabs Carmen’s left arm, his unmoving form doesn’t even react to Carmen as she struggles against his grips. Growling she tries kneeing him in his stomach, but none of her kick’s lands on her target. “Carmen, you need to rest. You should not be fighting.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Shadowsan sidestep Carmen as she throws a left jab, screaming when he remains unscratched. Right, left, right jabs are thrown in quick successions which only prove to be able to make Shadowsan take several steps back to avoid her furry. A front kick to his chest pushes him to the nearby pillar with force, but she’s not done. She quickly follows it by two roundhouse kick, the second one striking him in the jaw with more power than the first. Lastly, she fires of three precise hooks to his stomach, effectively leaving him breathless. He falls to his knees, one hand clenching his stomach as the other props him from falling face first. He is left completely powerless to her.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Normally, I’ll force you to beg for my mercy,” Her smile reflects the power she feels at besting her former teacher, former family. “But you know what they say: An eye for an eye.” A familiar crackle and green light fills the night, sealing Shadowsan to the same fate as Gray.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Carmen-”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Beg me. I want to hear you beg me to kill you,” Carmen chuckles at the shock and fear in the ninja’s eyes, beautifully illuminated by VILE’s color. “I said beg!” She demands after a minute of silence from him. Nothing will make Carmen feels as powerful as she feels right now, knowing she’s going to end the life of the man who tried to take everything from her.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Carmen!” Turning around ready to strike the poor fool that dares interrupt her moment, she’s left stumbling and coughing as a gas is sprayed directly in her face. Dropping her weapon, Carmen tries to find her footing and focus on her blurring vision. “Are you okay?” The blue coat agent, ‘Jules’, ask Shadowsan as she helps him up, both refusing to let their guard down too long.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Yes, thank you agent Arg-”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You coward,” Carmen coughs as she falls to her knees, trying not to pass out from the gas. “Not man enough to take me out by yourself,” She can feel she’s slipping, and she knows that once she’s out they’ll take her away before she can warn VILE. “I’ll get you old man. And you too, girly.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I’m sorry Carmen.” Is the last thing she hears as she finally falls victim to the gas.</em>
</p><hr/>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you enjoyed it.</p>
<p>Feel free to come talk to me on Tumblr (I spend most of my time there.) - beatskylar.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>Julia’s heart breaks at the sight of Carmen, the loving and free women she fell in love with trapped between four walls, broken and gone. Her bright grey eyes that used to display love and respect for the man in front of her, now showing agony and hatred.</p>
<p>Chief informed everyone in the room that due to Carmen destroying the memory restoration device when she did, that there is a 74 percent chance she will be facing a similar situation as Mr. Calloway: stuck in a limbo of sorts, remembering two different versions of her life. The line unclear to her which is a lie, but that she will choose the reality she has been living.</p>
<p>If Julia thought what VILE did to agent Devineaux in their brief encounter was terrible… she doesn’t want to even imagine what they put Carmen through, if and for how long they tortured her till she broke.</p>
<p>She should have done something: got in contact with team red sooner or set her plan in motions without chief’s approval. She is never going to forgive herself.</p>
<p>“Carmen, you need to rest. You should not be fighting.” Shadowsan’s voice breaks through her thoughts, calm and patient against the unrest she feels. She tries to relax and remember that she isn’t the only one watching the grainy security feed. Zack and Ivy stand by each other, neither dare utter a word as they watch their boss refuse to listen to Shadowsan.  Julia can’t help but remember when Carmen told her how the twins are balls of energy, especially Zack.</p>
<p>
  <em>“I’m telling you Jules; I have never seen them so focused before. Three days with no sleep and yet neither of them showed any signs of exhaustion. It was like just being in the same room as each other, was keeping them constantly energized.” The two quietly laughed at the story the thief finished recalling, the time she foolishly bet against the duo that she could stay up longer than them.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I bet there is never a dull moment when they are in the room.” Was all Julia could reply, trying to hide the blush that arose due to Carmen using the nickname, a sure-fire way to make the agent blush in an instant. She hopes the thief doesn’t notice it, but she doubts anything gets passed Carmen.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Her suspicions are confirmed when the thief smiles, the smile only reserved for her. Sincere, happy, and attentive. The same smile she always wears around her, somehow becoming brighter whenever she get Julia to blush.</em>
</p>
<p>Agent Devineaux and agent Zari sat quietly at the table in the middle of the room, both watching the scene unfold. Agent Zari only wanting to be in the room to see the great Carmen Sandiego and understand how ACME has been unable to successfully capture her till last night. Agent Devineaux on the other hand is clearly worried over la femme rouge, gasping when Carmen breaks free of Shadowsan’s grasp only to hit the steel sink in the middle of her back. He’s quick to hide his worry by pretending he’s gasping because he moved and irritated the injuries Carmen inflicted on him.</p>
<p>Julia can see through his charades. His feelings and opinion over Carmen changed ever since the two worked together to save Julia in Egypt, even before that. Chase had finally seen Carmen for who she truly was, a thief who stole from other thieves.</p>
<p>Then VILE happened.</p>
<p>“Don’t touch me, traitor!” Carmen yells, not even batting an eye to hitting the sink. All her focus is on Shadowsan. She isn’t going to let her guard down.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Can you tell me more about… Shadowsan? Did I say his name right?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Jules you should know by now, you are never wrong,” the lady in red pauses for a moment, deciding what she should tell. They both had a clear rule that they followed. Whenever they had time alone, neither would reveal anything too important involving their work. “Okay, I can tell you that he means the world to me. I am extremely lucky to have him with me, since the very beginning, even if I didn’t see all the help he was giving me.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You’re lucky to have each other.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I’m lucky to have team red and you.”</em>
</p>
<p>“Can we turn off the audio, please?” Player ask from behind the laptop’s screen, and when Julia looks over at him, she sees clear sings that he has been crying silently. Besides Shadowsan, he’s known Carmen the longest and was the last person to believe that his best friend was stealing for VILE, despite all the evidence they collected during her crime sprees.</p>
<p>He didn’t even believe Zack, Ivy and Shadowsan when they told him the terrifying truth. Carmen attempted to murder the redheaded male; he only accepted the reality when he saw it for his own eyes. The black and white video Julia found showing Carmen and Zack. The latter begging for help and with a wickedly sweet voice Carmen told him the fate that awaited him.</p>
<p>
  <em>“That’s impossible! Carmen loves us, she would never do anything that puts us in danger,” Player denied, shaking his head as he ran his hands over his exhausted face, clearly tired of this conversation. “We are her family, and she would die protecting us.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Player please- “Ivy tried to calm the teen, but her brother interrupted her efforts.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I looked her dead in the eyes, Player! She looked right at me while I asked if she was okay, if she recognized me!... All she said was that she recognized a problem, right before she kicked me,” Zack finished quietly, biting his second index finger knuckle as he shakily inhaled and exhaled. Tears threatening to fall down his face while he recalls the events he lived through, as his sister begins to rub his back, trying and failing to comfort him. “I don’t know what or how, but VILE turned her against us.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“No, she has to be playing them. You know, destroying them from the inside out, right?” Looking over at everyone one at a time, his gaze remains on Shadowsan’s when he speaks again, “You know Carmen, she’s not capable of doing such a heinous crime. That’s why you failed her, because you knew deep down, inside your heart she could never take someone’s life. Carmen wouldn’t try to kill Zack, or anyone for that matter.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I know how hard this is to hear, but only because it’s hard doesn’t mean it’s a lie.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>With that, the entire room falls into silence. Seconds quickly become minutes, and those minutes feel like lifetimes. Julia can see in Player’s eyes that he still doesn’t believe them, and she won’t blame him. For so long, Carmen always presented herself as untouchable, even when she was clearly injured, she fought on. She stood her ground against VILE and ACME, and despite both organizations best efforts Carmen was always one step ahead of them.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Player, I need to show you something,” unlocking her tablet, Julia quickly located the carnivals security cameras. “I hoped I wouldn’t have to show you this, but it’s the only thing that will open your eyes. Despite Mr. Calloway turning off the electricity at the carnival, the cameras inside each pod continued recording, running on their backup batteries.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The video immediately begins when the power was cut off, Zack on his knees while Carmen stalks towards him. The camera’s angle above the door still being able to record the pleased smile forming on Carmen’s face. “Carm, what’s wrong? Don’t you recognize me?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I recognize a problem.” In an instant she kicks him, a swift kick to his chest with enough power to push him back and through the closed doors. Zack yells as he barely manages to grab a hold of the side of the pod, the scream of the people below barely being loud enough to be captured by the camera.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Carm, help me. I can’t hold on.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“See all those tiny dots?” The camera is no longer to see Carmen fully, but her voice is clear as day. The venom from her words deadlier than poison. “Try hitting the one that looks like your partner on the way down.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“No!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>With that Julia closes her tablet and before she can apologize to them, Player speaks up. “I’m s-s-sorry Zack. I-I-I should have believed y-you.” Tears roll down his face, as he struggled to finish his sentence.</em>
</p>
<p>With a sigh, Chief walks over to the console and flips the audio off, throwing the room in complete silence as no one knew what to say. What do you say when someone as great as Carmen Sandiego falls?</p>
<p>No noise is produces as everyone watches Carmen continue to strike at Shadowsan, both clearly speaking. Carmen’s right foot springs into a forward motion as she uses the momentum to rotate her body at 180 degrees, missing Shadowsan completely as her foot comes in contact with the wall. Without even reacting to the pain, she just put herself through. Immediately she spins with her left elbow out, but she is only able to hit the wall again. Nothing seems to register in her mind as she pushes off her right foot in an attempt to punch the ninja, but luckily, he’s able to sidestep her and knock her out in a second. A single attack to the back of her neck is enough to make her fall into his waiting arms.</p>
<p>Cradled by him, he says something before he lifts her in his arm completely. Holding her bride style against his chest as he walks them back to the bed, being careful to place her down gently. Kneeling by her side, Shadowsan remains by her side for a moment before rising and leaving.</p>
<p>It doesn’t take long for him to enter the room they are in, being right next to Carmen. His features remaining neutral as the twins hug him for a moment before remembering who he is. Both whisper their apologies, but he simply places a hand of each of their shoulders.</p>
<p>“Agent Zari has agent Strode given any indications of when she will be able to fix the device?” Chief asks, looking directly at agent Zari, who looks down at her phone for a brief moment before replying.</p>
<p>“A few days at most.”</p>
<p>“Tell agent Strode to report to agent Argent the moment she is done,” taking one last look at Carmen, Chief fixes her gaze towards Shadowsan. “How long do we have before VILE starts suspecting something is wrong?”</p>
<p>“I am unable to tell. Carmen’s father was able to go weeks, even months without contacting them as long as he always made his prolonged trips worth it. Ever since his death, they never allowed a faculty member to leave their headquarters unless it was absolutely necessary,” he pauses as he looks at Carmen’s unconscious form, and Julia might be seeing things, but she swears she saw a single tear roll down his face. “If Crackle is telling the truth, they might be showing Carmen leniency due to her high success rate.”</p>
<p>“So, maybe, we might have a few days at most. Does anyone have a plan to keep VILE unaware of all of this or help Carmen remember the truth?”</p>
<p>Julia hates the silence that continues to overtake the room. A room filled with four agents of a brilliant organization, a master of remaining unseen, a professional driver, a strong mechanic and skillful hacker can’t find a solution to save Carmen.</p>
<p>“What if we do our own version of a bait and switch?” Zack offers, his voice quiet and unsure of himself. When everyone looks at him, he seems surprised at his own idea.</p>
<p>“Like we did in Stockholm?” Player ask, and slowly the twins start forming the plan.</p>
<p>“Yeah. We throw VILE off Carmen’s scent! Ivy could dress up in Carmen’s coat and hat- “</p>
<p>“Popping up around the world and we pretending to rob something of historical importance!”</p>
<p>“We make sure the news knows its ‘Carmen’ committing these crimes and ask the authorities to hide the artifacts till we save the real Carmen!” Zack and Ivy bounce the idea off each other, both interrupting the other when needed to tweak the plan. She won’t lie, it seems like a doable plan considering Ivy has already been able to trick ACME and she doubt VILE is going to know better than they did. Plus, Chiefs already been able to get the Eye of Vishnu back on display and she has enough connections to continue.</p>
<p>“That would buy us some time. If VILE sees that Carmen is simply continuing to steal, they won’t ask any questions.”</p>
<p>“And I think I know how we can jog Carmen’s old memories back.”</p><hr/>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>beatskylar on Tumblr<br/>This is where you can locate me</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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